Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Crawly Critters! Creep and Flutter: The Secret World of Insects and Spiders by Jim Arnosky

Get outside, keep your eyes open, and "be mindful of the small" is notable nature illustrator Jim Arnosky's advice, and his latest stunningly illustrated field guide, Creep and Flutter: The Secret World of Insects and Spiders (Sterling Books, 2012) will make young readers want to do just that.

This illustrated guide to many of North America's insects and spiders, with its accessible and absorbing text and many colorful fold-out pages (and two giant double-page gatefolds (opening to a four-page spread) as well) will provide the motivation and the background for nature study in backyards and local fields, woods, and pond areas. Insects and spiders are shown in large, detailed paintings, some more than life-sized, each with a handy life-size silhouette to keep things in perspective.

Arnosky includes chapters on flies (dragonflies, mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies), not skimping on all stages of the metamorphosis for the insect clan from egg, to nymph, to pupae and adult phases. Butterfly illustrations, as gorgeous as their subjects, earn wows, while the eight-legged arachnids (spiders and ticks) and the likewise formidably equipped bee and wasp families will evoke a few yikes! on their own.

Arnosky points out that this group of creatures compose “the largest biomass on Earth,” a staggering thought which will engender respect, if not affection, for nature's creepy crawly critte4rs out there. An indispensable book for elementary and middle school nature study, Arnosky's Creep and Flutter: The Secret World of Insects and Spiders pairs perfectly with Steve Jenkin's also just published The Beetle Book Houghton Mifflin, 2012) (see my recent review here.)

"... Another splendid invitation to children to explore the natural world," reports Kirkus Reviews.

1 Comments:

May I be bold as to reach out to you in the hope to ask if you would grace me with the virtue of a review of my children's audio book? Its a mystical tale...Please accept this message as a token of my sincere gratitude..(I would, of course email you if I knew how to reach you)http://www.amazon.com/Just-Kidding/dp/B004GRCIEO

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Retired after 32+ years as an elementary librarian, I really miss the joy of bringing together the right book with the right reader at the right time. Loving both kids and books equally as I do, perhaps helping children and the adults who care about them find good books through this blog is the next best thing to being there.
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